Machines



(No Model.) 2 Shee1is-Sheet 1.

G. P. STILLMAN. RIBBON-GUIDE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 499,051. Patented June 6, 1893.

Imam 202 (No Model.) 2 She etsSheet 2.

G F. STILLMAN. RIBBON GUIDE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

' 'No. 499,051. Patented June 6, 1893,

.71 Ziorney showing the ribbon.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. STILLMAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LYMAN 0. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

RIBBON-GUIDE FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,051, dated June 6, 1893.

Applicationfiled November 1, 1892- Serial No. 450,678- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. STILLMAN, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon- Guides for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ribbon guides, or supports for the inking or transfer ribbons used in typewriting machines.

The object of the invention is to produce an effective support or guide for the inking ribbon, which support may be easily applied to machines as now generally constructed,

and may be removable therefrom. Also to improve the details of construction of sucha support. Also to adapt the support to the secure maintenance of the ribbon near the printing point.

Figure 1 is a broken top plan of so much of a typewriting machine as is necessary to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the ribbon guide, on the line 50-50, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan of the guide, one of the spreader bars being omitted. Fig. 4 is a broken plan of the machine top, showing a modified ribbon guide. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the modified guide and spreader, detached from machine. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of one of the cross bars, Fig.

5, enlarged, and showing the ribbon.

The machine illustrated is known in the market as the Smith Premier machine, and all parts not considered necessary to show the ribbon guide in its relation to the machine are omitted. It must be understood, however, that the guide is applicable to other 1nachines, wherein the general arrangement of parts is similar, and with slight changes the guide may be adapted to nearly all type writing machines.

A indicates the top plate of the machine, and B the ring or basket on which the type bars are supported.

The carriage rails or tracks G G, are held to the top of the machine by screws, pins orbolts D, D, and E, E, as the machine is usually constructed, and there is generally a vertical space between these tracks and the ring B.

The ribbon guide F, Figs. 1, 2, has cross bars G, G, which extend across the basket from front to rear, and slightly diverted from straight lines as at G G. These bars G G are connected by braces or spreaders H, H. At one end the cross bars are notched as at I, I, to embrace the abutments or screws D, D, while at the other end the spreader II is be extended beyond the cross bars as at H and is notched at J J, so that the notches may embrace the abutments, screws or pins D D.

The guide F is made from a single piece of thin plate metal, hard rubber, or other suitable material, and may be sprung into place on the machine, or the screws D at one side may be partly drawn out to permit the application of the guide to the machine.

As shown in Fig. 2, there are two guide pieces F, applied one above and the other below the ribbon R. The ribbon extends directly across the straight part of the cross bars G of the lower guide, and the upper guide, F, which is an exact duplicate of the lower, rests on top of the ribbon. The metal or other material of which the guide is constructed is usually so thin that there will be sufficient-elasticity in the bars to allow the ribbon to pass easily between the upper and lowerguide; but if nec- 8o essary the cross bars may be slightly bent or sprung, to permit the easy passage of the ribbon, and its movement between the guides.

It will be readily understood by the skilled mechanic that the construction of the front and back sides of the guide may be alike. Thus the front bar H may be at the edge of the guide, and may be notched in the same manner as the spreader H, and at such. distance from the ends as is necessary to cause 0 it to embrace the screws D. Or the spreader H may be a little removed from the ends of the cross bars, which may be notched at the rear ends as well as the front ends. In fact,

The upper one of the two plate guides may be omitted, but to prevent buckling of the ribbon it is preferable that the guide should extend both above and below the ribbon.

In Fig. 3 the same essential features are shown as in Fig. 1, but the spreader H is omitted. The application of the guide to the machine is the same as has been described.

The guide shown in Fig. 5 is formed from the essential parts of the guide hereinbefore described, but with the following modifications. The spreader bar is pivoted to one of the cross bars and hooks 'into the other, instead of being integral with the cross bars; and the cross bars themselves are slotted, to form an upper and a lower bearing for the ribbon, instead of using two bars, one above and the other below the ribbon.

The reference letter g indicates one of the cross bars of the guide, said bar being slotted lengthwise, and having arms or members a a, one at each side of said slot. These members may be in different horizontal planes, so that the member which lies on top of the ribbon may be at sufficient elevation to permit the ribbon to pass through the slot without buckling. a straight line at g and may be forked, one branch of the fork as '5, being turned up or down. The branch which lies generally in the plane of thebargextends under the track or rail 0, and the other fork t rests against the side of said track or rail. The ends of bars 9 which extend under the rear guide rails C are turned outward as at 9 and are notched at o to clasp or embrace the pins or screws D, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described. I

The spreader bar h is preferably pivoted to one of the cross bars g, and has a pin or hook is which can be turned into the hole min the other spreader bar.

The guide 9 g may be readily applied to the machine by first engaging one of the arms with its pin or screw D at the rear of the machine, and swinging the bar 9 outward around that abutment as a pivot until the end 9 comes under and the fork 2' comes against the track. The second cross bar is applied in the same manner but toward the other end of the machine. Then by hooking the spreader h into engagement with both bars g, the device will be firmly held in position on the machine.

chine, as found desirable.

The end of the bar g is diverted from The guide described supports the ribbon near the printing point, and prevents the ribbon from sagging and the edges from curling up or down. It can be quickly applied to or detached from the machine, and being of light material adds but little to cost or weight of the machine. The ribbon will move endwise across the guide bars with very little obstruction, and may move sidewise on the bars with little resistance therefrom. The bars can be so proportioned as to come nearer to or farther from the printing point of the ma- I claim- I 1. The ribbon guide for typewriting machines consisting essentially of two bars extending across the ribbon, said bars having members above and below the ribbon and a spreader arm pivotally connected to one bar in position to engage with the other bar, substantially as described.

2. The ribbon guide bar for a typewriter having an arm with a notch in position to engage an abutment near one carriage track, and a fork with one arm to lie under and the other arm turned against the carriage track, substantially as described.

3. The ribbon guide for typewriters consisting essentially of two slot-ted bars and a movable arm by which said bars may be connected, substantially as described.

4. The ribbon guide for a typewriting ma .chine consisting essentially of two slotted bars each having one end adapted to embrace an abutment near one track of the machine, and having the other end with athin part or branch to extend between the track and top plate, and having a shoulder to rest against the side of said track, substantially as described.

5. The ribbon guide for typewriters consisting essentially of two bars withltheir ends bent from the general line of said bars having means for engagement with abutments on the machine, and having a spreader connecting said bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. STILLMAN.

Witnesses:

J. L. HOPKINS, WILLIAM A. Posr. 

